The Common People: Our Camelot
by J. Lynn
Summary: Why one man is leaving his family.


**TCP: Our Camelot  
J. Lynn **   
  
Oh God, I want to die.   
  
I'd rather be doing anything other than running away. I'd turn around and head straight back in a heartbeat. But I can't.   
  
Oh Sharon, my love, my one, my only.   
  
It never mattered to me that you were 'different'. I knew from the moment I first laid eyes on you, that you were the only one for me.   
  
You opened my eyes to the world. When I was with you I saw the beauty of life. And when you weren't there I saw the horribly wretched face of hate. It seemed to be everywhere. I threw out my t.v., tore down every poster I could find, and started carrying earplugs. Anything to get rid of the evil till I could be with you and see the beauty again.   
  
I had finally found the piece of myself I had been missing. With you I was finally happy, the aching hole inside me was filled by your love. And, looking in your eyes, I could see it was the same for you.   
  
That's why it's so hard to leave. To open up that hole again, knowing what I'm missing, is unbearable. It's like having a black hole open up in the middle of your chest.   
  
I ache to turn the car. To make a U-Turn and run back to you.   
  
But I can't.   
  
I steel my arms, my will, and continue.   
  
I have to do it.   
  
For you.   
  
We were nearly inseparable from the day we met. You would look at me with those beautiful rainbow-colored eyes and I would lose myself in them. You touched me, and I felt light. You kissed me and I flew.   
  
We were so in love.   
  
The first time we were together we cried with joy. It was as though we were finally exactly where we needed to be.   
  
I should have known, no one is ever allowed to be that happy for long. It defies the laws of the universe. But you and I could change that, warp the cruel laws of reality, and live in a small bubble of perfection.   
  
Sharon was so perfect. I loved everything about her. I loved the way she always painted her nails on Saturday. I loved the way a really corny joke at just the right moment would make her double up, unable to breathe, because she was laughing so hard. I loved the way she would sing the chorus of a song over and over, because she couldn't remember the rest of it. I loved the way she looked at me when she'd just woken up.   
  
I loved the way she hated Mondays.   
  
I proposed to her on a Monday. We were taking a walk in the park. When we reached the fountain we stopped and made a wish. As was our habit, we counted to three and said our wishes. I remember how surprised she was when I said my wish was to marry her. We went out to celebrate when you said yes.   
  
Neither of us had family, or many friends, so we decided to have a simple civil ceremony. She wore a simple white summer dress, and I wore my gray suit. It was over in ten minutes, but the vows will last for eternity. Even though I'm leaving. Even though I'll never come back. She'll always be my wife and no one else will ever take her place.   
  
We started thinking about having children. And when Sharon became pregnant we were both thrilled.   
  
It was the best of times.   
  
It was the worst of times.   
  
Graydon Creed had used his agenda of hate to get himself and several of his supporters elected to important positions. It was rumored that he would make a bid for the presidency in a few years.   
  
Prejudice had always been foreign to my nature, and after meeting Sharon it was loathsome to me that anyone might want to hurt her simply because of the way she was born.   
  
After one close call she started wearing contacts, covering her rainbow eyes with a piece of colored plastic.   
  
We found out later that the attack had caused a miscarriage. During the grieving I began to wonder if it hadn't been merciful. While it was never certain that the child of a mutant would also be a mutant it was more than likely.   
  
As terrible as it was for anyone to hurt my beloved Sharon I couldn't imagine how much worse it would be if something happened to our child.   
  
It's painful to lose the hopes of a couple of weeks, but how much more so a child who you have held in your arms?   
  
I began to dwell on what could happen. Our precious child could have a mutation visible early on. It could be born with Sharon's rainbow eyes, such a small, beautiful thing, to cause the world to line up waiting to kill it. There were so many things that could happen. A nurse in the hospital who had spent too much time with her FOH friends. A kid from school who mentioned their friend to the wrong person. Most frightening of all, yet the most likely, a random stranger who noticed that our child was different.   
  
After the attack and through the miscarriage Sharon and I had come to cherish each other more than ever. We clung to each other and worked our way through our troubles.   
  
When she said she was pregnant again I knew what I had to do.   
  
I took her to the cabin my parents had left me. She had enough supplies to last for several months. And then, with a farewell kiss, I left.   
  
I left to find somewhere safe.   
  
Somewhere where we could live without fear.   
  
And so I drive down this road looking for our safe haven.   
  
Our Camelot.   
  
End  



End file.
